Former President of the
Shaw Group Jim Bernhard says he is ready to back the loan needed to build a new
bridge across the Mississippi River this morning on AM Baton Rouge. He says there is much infrastructure work that
needs to be done prior to the bridge being built.

“This is step one. We get
the Baton Rouge ongoing... We get Nicholson drive extended and we’re going to
get the other parishes to come with us and we’re going to get another bridge.”

The bridge does come with
a hefty price tag and that’s money but the prominent businessman and one of the
wealthiest people in Baton Rouge. Bernhard says his company is willing to
underwrite the bonds for the project.

“Bernhard Capital Partners has
committed to finance the new bridge. The
1.3 billion dollars is not an ‘if’ it’s not a ‘when,’ it can be financed and we’re
prepared to do it.”